Fuel cells, which convert the chemical energy obtained by reacting a fuel gas comprising hydrogen with an oxidizing gas comprising oxygen to electrical energy are already known. Fuel cells are used, for example, by mounting in vehicles or the like, and can be used as the power source or the like for a motor used for driving the vehicle.
In order to prevent corrosion caused by the water generated as a result of the chemical reaction, the components used in fuel cells must exhibit corrosion resistance. For example, the separator used in a fuel cell (namely, the fuel cell separator) is typically covered with a resin coating in order to enhance the corrosion resistance.
Accordingly, a variety of conventional techniques have been proposed for coating fuel cell separators. Patent Document 1 (JP 2000-353532A) discloses a technique wherein the surface of a plate used in a fuel cell is coated with a resin to form a coating layer, the coating layer formed on the outside surface of the plate is removed to expose the outside surface of the plate, and a plating layer composed of a metal material is then formed on the exposed portion of the plate.
Furthermore, Patent Document 2 (JP 2005-166576 A) discloses a technique for forming a thin film of a rubber-like elastic body around the peripheral portions of a separator using insertion molding, and Patent Document 3 (JP 2005-5137 A) discloses a technique for forming a conductive coating layer on the conductive surface of a separator using a resin or the like that contains a conductive material.